The Nature of Ultimate Reality: The Three Lakshanas Flashcards
AO3: How are Dukkha and Annica representative of reality?
The use of mindfulness for mental health and the response to change and stress.
AO3: How can Dukkha be seen as representative of reality?
Acknowledges the ups and downs of life which we are all familiar with.
AO3: How can Science be linked to impermanence?
Quantum physics appears to be in constant flux - outlined in the Tao of Physics.
AO3: How can anatta be understood as not representing reality?
There are many conflicting areas, especially with world faith as many believe we possess a soul.
AO3: What are the three lakshanas in regards to the Buddha’s experience?
The first observations the Buddha made after the four sights - could therefore be the basis of Buddhist philosophy.
AO3: How can Annica be seen as important to Buddhism?
Outlines everything has temporary existence as a person changes and progresses towards enlightenment.
Also helps advancing through meditation stages.
AO3: How could nibbana be seen to be of more importance?
As it is ‘unconditioned’ - distinguishes it’s uniqueness.
AO3: What does the Buddha say which could suggest Nibbanna to be of more importance?
‘Suffering I teach’ and ‘a way out of suffering’.
AO3: What does Mahathera Nyanatiloka state about the importance of Anatta?
‘The only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the entire structure of the Buddhist teaching stands on or falls’.
AO3: How can Dukkha be seen as the most important teaching?
Change and suffering is what propels us to desire enlightenment.
What are the 3 lakshanas considered as?
Marks of existence or universal truths with their possible origins in the four sights.
What are the 3 lakshanas seen as?
Being interconnected and as being a development of the four noble truths.
Dukka
Unsatisfactoriness - key concept.
Anicca
Impermanence - viewed as a development of Dukkha
Anatta
Not self - viewed as a development of Dukkha.
Where is the Buddha’s first sermon after his enlightenment recorded?
In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta where he outlines the 4 noble truths - first being Dukkha.
How can the Dukkha be understood?
In a variety of ways and can be seen as arising when a person is aware of Anicca with everything subject to change and impermanence and when a person sees that they too are impermenant and are in reality anatta.
How can anicca be understood?
In the context of the first three sights: old age, sickness and death - here in a person there is nothing static that stays the same.
What can anicca be seen as?
A law of the universe in terms of physics, when at the sub-atomic level particles are in a constant flux despite giving the appearance of solidity and permenance.
What does the Milindapanha describe?
How the Greek King (probably Menander) comes to question an assembly of bhikkus before whom Nagasena appears to take up the challenge.
What does Buddhism reject?
Buddhism rejects the soul/spirit/atman/metaphysical “self” as being sunnata (emptiness) but accepts the empirical self which consists of five skandhas: (form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness) arising/combining/changing all the time.
